简介：HistorianJamesHollandpresentsafreshanalysisoftheWorldWarTwobattleforthetinyMediterraneanislandofMalta. TheBattleforMaltaisoneofthemostviciousandviolentepisodesoftheSecondWorldWar.ThetinyMediterraneanislandissmallerthantheIsleofWight,yetbetween1940and1942morebombsfellonMaltathanfellonBritainduringtheentireBlitz.AsAxisforcesthrewalltheyhadattheisland,thoseonMaltawereforcedtoendureasustainedattackfromtheairandarapidlydeterioratingconditionontheground.Beyondanyformofausteritythatwemightunderstand,littleMaltawasclosetostarving.ThestruggleoftheMaltesepeopleagainstoppressionwasrecognisedpersonallybyKingGeorgeVI,whoawardedtheGeorgeCrosstotheentireisland.YettheSiegeofMaltaisonlyhalfofthestory. Inthisdocumentary,HollandarguesthattherealimportanceofMalta'spositionwasitsoffensiverole,whichhasbeenlargelyundervalued. CaughtinthecrosshairsofamassivestrugglebetweenBritainandGermanytocontroltheshippingwatersoftheMediterranean,by1942MaltahadbecomethemostbombedplaceonEarth.Whilstthelevelofbrutalattacksmayseemoutofallproportiontotheislandssizeitactuallyonlyservestounderlineitsimportance-forMaltaheldthekeytotheentirewarintheMediterraneanandNorthAfrica.…